Box-making machine



Nov. 10,1925- 1.561.331

O. W. KENNEDY BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb- 26. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1925- o. w. KENNEDY Box mum momma Filed Feb. 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES OWEN W. KENNEDY, OF BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-MAKING- MACHINE.

Application filed February 26, 1923. Serial No. 621,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN WV. KENNEDY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at- Boylston, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of ldassachu-setts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Box-Making Machine, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a. specification.

My invention relates generally to machines for performing a pressing operation in the manufacture of paper boxes, and relates particularly to corner staying machines, such as are employed for applying stays or reinforcing strips to the corners of pasteboard boxes. The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine of the class described employing a novel form of pressing element so constructed as to afford a maximum degree of safety for the fingers of the operator using the machine.

It is well known to those familiar with the box making industry, that corner stay ing machines are liable to seriously injure the fingers of an operator who should carelessly get one or more fingers caught between the stationary element which supports the corner of the box and the reciprocatory element which attaches the stay str1p. This danger in operating a corner staying machine arises from several causes peculiar to the manufacture of boxes. In the first place, corner staying machines must operate at high speed in order to make possible a high rate of production, and such a machine must necessarily employ cooperating pressing elements each with faces substantially at right angles to each other in order that both may engage adjacent sides of a box when a stay strip is attached thereto. In a corner staying machine the operator must also position the sides of the box on the stationary element, or anvil, While the reciprocatory element is raised, and it frequently happens that the operator, in attempting to hold the sides of the box together, gets his or her finger in the Way of the rapidly descending pressing element. In other words, the operator always .tends to move the fingers toward the apex of the anvil in placing a box on the same, and it is this tendency that often results in serious injury to the operators fingers.

I am aware that various safety devices have been heretofore constructed for use 1n connection with corner staymg machines,

but all of such safety devices have employed more or less complicated means, operating in timed relation to the drive shaft, for rendering either the reciprocating pressing element, or the stationary element yielding or ineffective to perform work in case an obstruction, such as a finger comes between the cooperating elements, and for also render- I ing one of the elements rigid just before the pressing operation. Such prior safety devices are in the nature of auxiliaries to the machine, and in no Way affect the essential form of either the stationary or the reciprocatory pressing element. It therefore follows that should the operating mechanism of the safety device fail to function, either due to wear, or disarrangement of its parts, then the machine is capable of inflicting as much injury as before the application of the safety device thereto.

By the present invention I propose to provide a box making machine embodying a pressing element which is inherently safe, as regards its ability to damage the fingers of an operator. Briefly stated, my invention consists in providing a pressing element so constructed that it is incapable of exerting pressure unless it actually engages the box properly positioned on the cooperating element, or the element itself; in the absence of such engagement with the work, or its supporting element, my improved pressing element, is incapable of applying pressure. My invention does notmake use of any means external to the pressing element itself for rendering it incapable of performing work, and the form of the cooperating elements themselves is made use of to render my pressing element capable of affixing a stay strip to the corner of a box.

The above and other advantageous features of my invention will hereinafter more fully appear, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of so much of a corner staying machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View showing my improved pressing element, and the cooperating work supporting element on an enlarged scale, the pressing element being in its extreme upper position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the pressing element at the moment of its engagement with. the corner of a box.

Figure shows the functioning of the pressing element upon encountering an obstruction to its downward movement.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the pressing element removed from the machine.

Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views respectively showing a pair of cooperating presser members separated from each other.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view showing the rear end of the presser member shown in Fig. 7.

Figure is a fragmentary view showing the rear end of the presser member shown in Fig. 8.

Like reference characters refer tolike parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the machine generally comprises a base or stand 1* supporting an upwardly extending frame 2 in: which is rotatably mounted a shaft 3 providedwith a pulley 4, by means of which the shaft 3 may be driven from a suitablesource of power, not shown. An eccentric disk 5 is located at one end of the shaft, upon which is provided a crank pm which is connected to aslide or head 6 through a link 7. Rotation of the shaft 3 is adapted to cause the head 6 toreciprocate between vertical guides 8 provided by the frame 2 and a heavy coil spring 9 is provided to afford alimited amount of adjustment in the head, as is usual in machines of this type, whereby work of different thicknesses may be operated on.

A work supporting element, or anvil 10, is supported by the base 1 below the head 6 and is capable of longitudinal adjustment in a sleeve 11, so that corner stay strips of different lengths can be applied to boxes of different depths. The anvil 10 is angular in form, with its work supporting surfaces 12 and 13 substantially at right angles to each other, so that the anvil 10 is adapted tosupport the corner of a box while a stay strip is'being affixed thereto by my improved pressing element 14, which is carried by the head- 6. The pressing element 14 is shown in its upper position in Figs 1 and 2, that is, with the head 6 at the top of its stroke, and it is when the ele ment 14 is in this position that the box is placed inposition on the anvil 10'. As the pressing element 14 moves downwardly toward the anvil, suitable stay feeding mechanism, not shown, projects an adhesive strip of stay material into the space between the pressing element 14 and the corner of the box, and a stay strip of the proper length is cut bya knife 15 carried by the head 6 coacting with a. stationary blade indicated at 16, th-rough which the strip 17 is fed. The severed strip is carried downwardly and is pressed upon the corner of the box by the pressing element 14, which will now be described.

Referring now to Figs. 3, and 6 to 10 inclusive, my improved pressing element comprises cooperating presser members 18 and 19, which are pivotally mounted on a shaft 20 supported in lugs 21 and 22 projecting downwardly from the bottom of the head 6, the lugs being shown in section in Fig. 6. The presser member 18 consists of a work engaging portion 23 extending the length of the member and providing a surface 24 which is substantially parallel to the surface 12 of the anvil 10 when the member 18 is in its normal position. The member 18 is further provided with up wardly' and laterally extending arms 25 at the ends of the portion 23, each arm 25 being provided with an opening 26 for re ceiving the shaft 20. Each arm is provided with an extension 27 having a plane surface 28 which. is adapted tov normally ongage the lower surface 29 of the head 6 when the member 18 is freely mounted on the shaft 20', see Fig. 3. The fact that the center of gravity of the presser member 18 is to the left of the shaft 20, insures that the surfaces 28.and 29 will: normally re main in engagement and thus hold the surface 24 parallel to the surface 12v of the an- Vll As best shown in Fig. 9, the presser member 18 is provided at its inner end with a projection or hook portion 30' which provides a surface. 31 extending substantially at right angles to the surface 24, the line of intersection of the surfaces 24 and 31 being located in a plane X,X passing through the apex A of the anvil 10; The axis YY of the shaft 20 also lies inthe plane X-X.

The presser member 19 is provided with a work engaging portion 32: extending the length thereof, which portion is provided with a pressing surface 33 adapted to extend at right angles to the surface 24 and parallel to the surface 13 of the anvil 10 when the member 19 is in its normal position. The member 19 is provided intermediate its ends with. an upwardly and laterally extending arm 34 provided with an opening 35 for receiving the shaft 20. The arm 34 is provided with an extension 36 having a surface 37 adapted to also engage the lower surface 29 of the head 6 when the member 19 is freely mounted on the shaft 20. The fact that the center of gravity of the member 19 is to. the right of the shaft 20 insures that the surface 37 will normally engage the surface 29 and thereby maintain the surface 33 atright angles to the surface 24 and parallel to surface 13.

As best shown in Fig. 10,, the inner end 0f the member 19 is provided with a projection or hook portion 38 having a surface 39 extending at right angles to the surface 33, the intersection of the surfaces 33 and 39 lying in the plane XX when the member 19 is mounted on the shaft 20.

lVhen both members 18 and 19 are mounted on the shaft 20, it is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 6, that the arm 3 1 will fit between the arms 25 of the member 18 so that the members 18 and 19 can be turned freely in opposite directions on the shaft 20, without interference with each other. Referring again to Figs. 9 and 10, it will be seen that the portion 32 of the member 19 is provided with a slot 40 for receiving the hook 30 of the member 18, the hook 30 being adapted-to move freely in the slot 40 should either member be turned on the shaft. The hook 38 on the member 19 is likewise received in a notch 41 cut in the member 18 behind the hook 30, so that the latter may also movefreely should either the member 18 or 19 be turned on the shaft. For convenience of manufacture, the hooks 30 and 38 are shown as being formed on plates attached to the members 18 and 19 respectively, but it is obvious that the hooks 30 and 38 may as well be formed integrally with the presser members 18 and 19. The hooks 30 and 38 are also illustrated as being of relatively small width as compared to the length of either presser member 18 or 19, but it is to be understood that the invention is in no Way limited to the proportions shown in the drawings. As a matter of fact, the hooks 30 and 38 need only to be thick enough to possess suflicient mechanical strength to hold their respective presser members rigid during the operation of affixing a stay strip to the corner of the box, as will now be described.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the head 6 is shown in its upper position, with the presser members 18 and 19 supported above the anvil 10, with their respective pressing surfaces 24 and 33 parallel to the surfaces 12 and 13 of the anvil. It is evident that the presser members will remain in this position so long as there is no force exerted thereon tending to turn them on the shaft 20. The corner of a box is shown as having been applied to the anvil 10 by the operator, the sides 42 of the box being pressed toward each other by the fingers of the operator in order to hold their edges closely together.

As the head 6 descends toward the anvil 10, the knife 15 severs a stay strip of the proper length which falls upon the corner of the box in proper position for being pressed thereon. As the surfaces 24 and 33 engage the stay strip, as shownin Fig. 4, the surfaces 31 and 39 of the hooks 30 and 38, respectively, will also engage the strip. Consequently each presser member 18 and l9'has simultaneously applied thereto forces acting on opposite sides of the axis YY of its shaft 20. Therefore neither the member 18 or the member 19 is turned perceptibly, and the stay strip is engaged throughout its length by the presser members and thereby aifixed to the corner of the box.

The statement is made that the members 18 and 19 are not turned perceptibly as they engage the work, because it may well happen that a slight turning movement may be imparted to either presser member, should the sides of the box be of unequal thickness. Any such turning movement is very slight, for it is obvious that even though the surface 24 of the member 18 should engage the work a trifle in advance of the engagement of the surface 31, the downward movement of the head 6 is so rapid that the member 18 would be turned back to its original position as soon as the hook 30 engages the work, whereby the pressure applied by the surface 24 would be increased rather than diminished. It is apparent that the presser member 19 would function in the same manner as the presser member 18, so that either presser member is capable of adjusting itself to the work in such a manner that variations in the thickness of the box material will in no way affect the operation of the pressing element.

As previously stated, .it frequently happens that the operator places his or her fingers well up toward the top of the anvil 10, in an effort to hold the edges of the box together, as illustrated in Fig. 5, in which case it is evident that the fingers will be in the way of the descending pressing element 14. When, however either surface 24 or 33 engages a finger tip, it is obvious that the corresponding presser member 18 or 19 will be turned on the shaft 20, as shown in Fig. 5, so that no pressure is exerted on the finger by either member. When either presser member is so turned by engagement with a finger, the hooks 30 and 38 are quickly moved to bring the surfaces 31 and 39 on the same side of the shaft axis Y-Y, as the corresponding surfaces 24 and 33. Consequently, there will be nothing to oppose the turning of either presser member, and should either hook 30 or 38 then engage the work, such engagement will only serve to turn the corresponding presser member further on the shaft 20, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. lVith the presser memberslS and 19 turned, as shown in Fig. 5, it is obvious that the head 6 will complete its downward stroke without any possibility of either presser member injuring thefingers of the operator.. hen the-head 6 moves upwardly, carrying the presser members with it, the latter will return to their nor mal positions by reasonof the fact that the center of gravity of each pressermember lies further beyond the axis YY of the shaft 20 than normally, so that each presser member will always return to its original position after being displaced, with the surfaces 28 and 37 in engagement with the lower surface 29 of the head, It is apparent that either one, or both of the presser me1nhere will be turned into an inoperative position upon contact with any obstruction so placed on the anvil that it will be engaged by either surface 2a or 33', it being immaterial whether the obstruction, or finger, is placed on the sides or directly on top of and across the anvil,

From the foregoing, it is apparent that ing pressure unless one or both of the pres-' ser members completely engage the work. In this respect my improved mechine is believed to differ fundamentally from. prior corner staying machines provided with auxiliary safety devices, dependent in their operation upon some means external to the co-operating pressing elements. M T im proved pressing element will always function with complete safety to the operator by reason of the fact that the element itself is so formed that it is capable of transmitting pressure only when it engages work supported by a cooperating element of a definite form, and it is immaterial whether the work supporting element be stationary, as illustrated, or whether it be moved with respect to my improved pressing element.

lVhile I have shown my invention as applied to a particular arrangement of parts of a corner stay machine, it is obvious that it can be as well applied to other similar machines employing cooperating pressing elements, without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, cooperating pressing elements, one of which comprises a member turnable about a piv-. otal axis and provided with work engaging portions on opposite sides of said axis whereby said member is capable of exerting pressure only upon engagement of its work engaging portions with the other of said elements, or with work supported between said elements. 7

2. In a machine of th class described, cooperating pressing elements, one of which comprises a member turnable about a pivotal axis and provided with work engaging portions on opposite sides of said axis, whereby said member is capable of exerting pressure only upon the contact of its work engaging portions with surfaces supported by the other of said elements on opposite sides of said pivotal axis.

3. In a machin of the class described, co-

operating pressing elements. having opposed work engaging surfaces parallel to each other, one of said elements being turnable bodily about an axis parallel to said work engaging surfaces when out. of engagement with the other of said elements.

t. In a machine of the class. described, cooperating pressing elements having opposed work engaging surfaces parallel to each other, one of said elements being turnable bodily about an axis parallel to said work engaging surfaces to bring said portions out of parallelism.

5. In a machine of the class described, cooperating pressing elements having opposed work engaging surfaces parallel to each other, a portion of one of said elements being adapted to yield upon engagement with an object interposed between said elements without affecting the remainder of the same. element.

6. In a machine of the class described, cooperating pressing elements having opposed work engaging surfaces parallel to each other, a portion of one of said elements being adapted to yield upon engagement with an object interposed between said elements without disturbing the parallel relation between the remainder of said element and the element with which it cooperates.

7. In a machine of the class described, a work supporting element and a relatively movable pressing element turnable about a pivotal axis and capable of exerting pressure only upon engagement of surfaces on opposite sides of said axis with said first named element, or with work supported between said elements.

8. In a machine of the class described, a Work supporting element and a relatively movabl pressing element turnable about a pivotal. axis and capable of exerting pressure only upon engagement of surfaces on opposite sides of said axis with surfaces corresponding in form to those of said first named element.

9. In a machine of the class described, a pressing element comprising cooperating members adapted to turn about a common pivotal axis and each provided with work engaging portions located on opposite sides of said axis.

10. In a machine of the class described, a pressing element comprising cooperating members adapted to turn about a common pivotal axis and each provided with work engaging surfaces disposed in different planes on opposite sides of said axis.

11. In a corner staying machine, a pressing element comprising cooperating members adapted to turn about a common pivotal axis and each provided with work engaging surfaces disposed in planes substantially at right angles to each other.

12. In a machine of the class described, a

member having Work supporting surfaces lying in different planes and a relatively movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis lying in the same plane as the line of intersection of the said Work supporting surfaces.

13. In a machine of the class described, a member having Work supporting surfaces lying in diflerent planes and a relatively movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis, and having portions extending parallel to the said Work supporting surfaces on opposite sides. of said axis.

14. In a machine of the class described, a Work supporting member angular in form and a relatively movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis lying in the same plane as the apex of said Work supporting member.

15. In a machine of the class described, a Work supporting member angular in form and a relatively movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis parallel to the apex of said Work supporting member and having an angular depression similar in form to said Work supporting member.

.movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis, the said presser member having Work engaging portions located on opposite sides of said axis.

17. In a machine of the class described, a Work supporting element and a relatively movable presser member free to turn about a pivotal axis, the said presser member having Work engaging portions located on opposite sides of said axis and movable in unison about said axis.

18. In a machine of the class described, cooperating pressing elements, one of Which is free to turn about a pivotal axis and is provided With Work engaging portions on opposite sides of said axis.

OWEN W. KENNEDY. 

